Signal processing method in autoradiography

Abstract

A signal processing method in autoradiography employing a radiosensitive material for the purpose of obtaining information on one dimensional location of radioactively labeled substances distributed in at least one dimensional direction on a support medium, in the form of symbol, numeral or combination thereof, comprising the steps of obtaining a digital signal corresponding to the autoradiograph on a radiosensitive material, by exposing said radiosensitive material to radiation emitted by said radioactively labeled substances on the support medium determining one dimensional scanning line relative to said digital signal; and detecting sampling points on said scanning line, comprising and identifying the positions of said sampling points detected on said scanning line among resolved rows for determining the base sequence of labeled substances.

We claim: 
     
       1. A signal processing method in autoradiography employing a radiosensitive material for obtaining information on one dimensional location of radioactively labeled substances distributed in at least one dimensional direction on a support medium, in the form of symbol, numeral or combination thereof, comprising the steps of:   (1) obtaining a digital signal corresponding to the autoradiograph on said radiosensitive material by exposing said radiosensitive material to radiation emitted by said radioactively labeled substances on said support medium,   (2) determining one dimensional scanning line relative to said digital signal; and   (3) detecting samling points on said scanning line,   (4) identifying the positions of said sampling points detected on said scanning line among resolved rows for determining the base sequence of labeled substances.   
     
     
       2. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 1, in which all points on said scanning line at which the signal exhibits a maximum level are assigned to sampling points on the scanning line. 
     
     
       3. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which said radioactively labeled substances distributed on the support medium are biopolymers, derivatives thereof, or cleavage products thereof, labeled with a radioactive element and resolved on the support medium in one dimensional direction. 
     
     
       4. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 3, in which said bipolymers are nucleic acids, derivatives thereof or cleavage products thereof; and said symbol, numeral or combination thereof obtained by said signal processing represents base sequence thereof. 
     
     
       5. A signal processing method in autoradiography employing a radiosensitive material for obtaining information on one dimensional location of groups of radioactively labeled substances arranged in plural rows and distributed respectively in at least one dimensional direction on a support medium, in the form of symbol, numeral or combination thereof, comprising the steps of:   (1) obtaining a digital signal corresponding to the autoradiograph on said radiosensitive material by exposing said radiosensitive material to radiation emitted by said radioactively labeled substances on said support medium;   (2) determining on each of the plural rows one dimensional scanning line relative to said digital signal;   (3) detecting on each of the plural rows sampling points on said scanning line; and   (4) comparing and identifying the positions said sampling points detected in the plural rows on said scanning lines among resolved rows for determining the base sequence of labeled substances.   
     
     
       6. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 5, in which all points on said scanning line at which the signal exhibits a maximum level are assigned to sampling points on the scanning line. 
     
     
       7. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which said comparing and identifying of the sampling points are performed by numerical calculation on the positions of sampling points on the scanning lines among the plural rows. 
     
     
       8. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which said groups of radioactively labeled substances distributed on the support medium are biopolymers, derivatives thereof, or cleavage products thereof, labeled with a radioactive element and resolved on the support medium in one dimensional direction. 
     
     
       9. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 8, in which said bipolymers are nucleic acids, derivatives thereof or cleavage products thereof; and said symbol, numeral or combination thereof obtained by said signal processing represents base sequence thereof. 
     
     
       10. A signal processing method in autoradiography for determining base sequence of DNA or DNA fragment, employing radioactively labeled cleavage products obtained by specifically cleaving the DNA or DNA fragment labeled with a radioactive element, comprising the steps of: (1) providing at least four groups of base specific cleavage products consisting of:   guanine specific cleavage products, adenine specific cleavage products, thymine specific cleavage products and cytosine specific cleavage products;   and resolved respectively in one dimensional direction to form resolved rows on a support medium,   (2) obtaining a digital signal corresponding to the autoradiograph on said radiosensitive material by exposing said radiosensitive material to radiation emitted by said radioactively labeled substances on said support medium   (3) determining on each of the resolved rows one dimensional scanning line relative to said digital signed;   (4) detecting on each of the resolved rows sampling points on said scanning line; and   (5) comparing and identifying the positions of said sampling points on the scanning lines among the resolved rows to obtain locational information on guanine, adenine, thymine and cytosine.   
     
     
       11. The signal processing method in autoradiography as claimed in claim 10, in which said groups of base specific cleavage products of DNA or DNA fragment include at least four groups consisting of: (1) guanine specific cleavage products;   (2) quanine specific cleavage products and adenine specific cleavage products;   (3) cytosine specific cleavage products; and   (4) cytosine specific cleavage products.